Conor McGregor impersonator invades Venice Beach

A Conor McGregor impersonator shows off his strength at Muscle Beach in Venice, California (YouTube).

What would you do if you saw Conor McGregor walking the streets of Venice on your beach day?

Take photos? Clap? Admire from afar?

For some Southern California beachgoers, this question became a reality when a man dressed up as the MMA star strutted his way along the boardwalk to the cheers of adoring fans.

The impersonator, a street workout athlete named Islam Badurgov, played to the crowd as he walked across the beach taking photos with fans and grunting and laughing with every move. He showed off his strength with pull-ups and push-ups on the equipment on Muscle Beach, and he even hung sideways from one of the poles on the famous beach landmark.

Badurgov finished his Los Angeles tour with a drive in a convertible where he stopped periodically to entertain fans oblivious to the prank. He even stood up in the car at one point to take a group selfie.

While Badurgov won’t actually be the one to take on Floyd Mayweather in August, he clearly played the role of McGregor with intensity (albeit without ever talking). Badurgov had McGregor’s tattoos drawn on his body with markers, and he also added a little makeup to make his joke even more believable.

There will likely be a lot of disappointed Venice beachgoers who will soon realize that they didn’t meet the real McGregor, but at least one thing is clear: the Conor McGregor craze came to Venice Beach, and it came in style, tattoos and all.